A $50,000 grant recently awarded to the Conyers Police Department by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) may ultimately reduce the number of accidents—and deaths—as a result of drivers driving under the influence of alcohol.

The Conyers Police Department submitted the grant with the goal of reducing alcohol and drug-related crashes, injuries and fatalities.To obtain the goal, the CPD will provide Responsible Alcohol Sales and Service (RASS) training to 200 clerks, servers, business owners, managers and staff of establishments that sell alcoholic beverages within the grant period. Currently, there are more than 700 actively permitted to serve alcohol in the city limits.

To supplement the RASS training, grand funds will also purchase needed equipment including four radar units, two LIDAR (light detection and ranging) units and portable intoximeters.     

“Our ultimate goal is to educate and protect our citizens, whether they are serving alcohol and learning about laws and liabilities associated with that or protecting those in harm’s way when someone gets behind the wheel and has had too much to drink,” said Chief of Police Gene Wilson.

In addition, the CPD will participate and host a Central Region Traffic Enforcement Network (CRTEN) meeting.CRTEN is a network of law enforcement agencies including the counties of Rockdale, Newton, Walton, Jones, Baldwin, Morgan, Greene, Jasper, Putnam and Bibb. Conyers Police will also participate in GOHS and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) activities and campaigns throughout the grant period such as Click It or Ticket, Operation Zero Tolerance and 100 Days of Summer Heat.

The grant is effective October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013.